State lawmakers halt fetal tax exemption bills

It appears legislation to allow people to claim a fetus as a dependent on their state taxes has stalled.

Plans to vote on the bills were scrapped, and they were removed from Monday’s state House Tax Policy Committee agenda.

Opponents of the measures called them a backhanded attack on access to abortions.

Committee Chairman Jud Gilbert said the issue has become too contentious.

“This thing was just going totally out of control. I have a lot of things on my plate between now and the end of the year. And this is something that will have to wait until next year to be accomplished,” said Gilbert.

He says legislation to repeal the property tax on businesses and industrial equipment will take up most of his committee’s time in the lame duck session.

Any bills that do not pass by the end of the year will die, but could be re-introduced next year.

Yesterday, the chairman of the state Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing and quickly pushed through what everyone is calling an anti-abortion bill, sending it on to the full Senate.

It was clear that this wasn’t meant to be a deliberative process. Legally, any committee has to give at least 18 hours notice before holding any hearing.

When the legislature wants public comment, they usually give several days notice. In this case, it was almost exactly 18 hours. The committee chairman, Senator Rick Jones, pretty much admitted he was ramming this bill through.